Football Federation Australia will adopt a wait-and-see approach as the damaging revelations about Qatar’s alleged vote-buying for the 2022 World Cup hosting rights continue to deepen.

While clouds have long hung over the tiny emirate’s successful push to host the world’s showpiece sporting event, allegations from the Sunday Times in London have highlighted extensive corruption related to former FIFA vice president Mohammed bin Hammam, who is closely connected with Qatar’s bid.

The newspaper claims to have been leaked “millions of documents” that “expose how Qatar’s astonishing victory in the race to secure the right to host the 2022 tournament was sealed by a covert campaign by Mohammed bin Hammam”. The newspaper claims he paid US$5 million ($5.4 million) to gain the backing of key powerbrokers in the lead up to the bid, which saw Qatar triumph ahead of rival bids from the US, Japan, South Korea and Australia.

Explosive: The front page of The Sunday Times.

As external pressure increases on FIFA to undertake a new vote, FFA says it is keeping a very keen eye on the developments.

Advertisement

“We note these are very serious allegations," a spokesman said. "We’ve been monitoring FIFA’s investigations for many months and we’ll be keenly interested in their response. But at this stage, we can only continue to encourage a thorough process which covers all the facts as soon as possible.”

FFA chairman Frank Lowy has often uttered the same, cryptic line in the past whenever improper allegations about Qatar have surfaced, repeatedly saying: “The last word has not been heard”.

According to the Sunday Times report, bin Hammam used 10 slush funds controlled by his private company and cash to make dozens of payments of up to $US200,000 into accounts controlled by the presidents of 30 African football associations who influenced how the continent’s four executive members would vote. He also allegedly hosted lavish junkets for these African officials at which he handed out almost $US400,000 in cash. Bin Hammam is also accused of funnelling more than $US1.6 million directly into bank accounts controlled by former FIFA vice president Jack Warner, including $US450,000 before the vote.

Warner resigned from football duties, including his 28-year membership of FIFA’s committee, in June 2011 to avoid investigation in a bribery scandal linked to bin Hammam’s campaign for the FIFA presidency.

Former FIFA ethics committee member and prominent Australian broadcaster Les Murray has been an outspoken critic of the bid process, writing during the furore over the tournament’s proposed switch from summer to winter meant the “only clean and legitimate way to do it [host the event] would be to scrap the 2010 decision and call for new bids”.

But for all the speculation about the possibility of the World Cup being taken away from Qatar, it remains highly unlikely.

The only men who can make it happen are FIFA’s executive committee, who will have to overturn their original decision. Doing so will be seen as an admission of guilt.

There is also the fact that bin Hammam is now officially separated from the Qatari bid, having been twice banned for life from all football posts by FIFA (the first ban was annulled).

While the tournament can easily be hosted at short notice by losing bidders, only wholesale change at FIFA can realistically bring about another vote.

That in itself remains unlikely, given the prospective candidates for the FIFA presidential election, due for next year.

The incumbent Sepp Blatter, widely believed to have voted for the USA in the bid process, has only moved to outmanoeuvre bin Hammam – who challenged him for the presidency three years ago – rather than quash the Qatari bid outright.

It has been suggested Blatter has allowed the Qatari issue to fester because of the damage it continues to do to his main political rival, UEFA boss Michel Platini. His support of Qatar 2022 – Platini has actively encouraged political and economic relations between Doha and Paris, and his son works for a Qatari company – means he is unlikely to revisit the hosting issue.

The only confirmed candidate aside from Blatter is his former aide and former FIFA executive, Jerome Champagne. Although he has suggested stripping Qatar has to “be on the table” if it is found to have done wrong, it remains unknown if he will gather the numbers to mount a credible threat at the next election.

with AP

12 comments so far

Anyone who didn't think that vote was rigged and nothing more than a rort, would have believed that Grissly Bears make great house pets and on another note, why wasn't that grub prosecuted and Jailed???????.

Commenter

Mike

Location

Sydney

Date and time

June 01, 2014, 7:55PM

FFA will what? Is FFA saying it did not know that Qatar was gifted the 2022 World Cup over the other applicants because it paid off the voters? The FFA of Australia is just as culpable in the World Cup allocation process as any other nation in the soccer world, so why do we get the holier than thou rhetoric? This is just another example of how the big end of town operates in all nations and why the biggest, big end in town in the global community will always take precedent over a smaller big end in town in the global community. In global soccer Australia is the smallest big end in town of the lot so quit the griping.

Commenter

RTP

Location

Sawtell

Date and time

June 01, 2014, 8:32PM

What's your point RTP? If it's that we should just suck it up well clearly that's just a cop out. Australia on its own...difficult. But clearly the dominoes are starting to fall and FIFA corruption , similar to IOC some 25 odd years ago is starting to unravel. The Qatar call was a bridge too far. The worlds greatest tournament and the biggest event in the world is the showpiece of the biggest bunch of Spivs and harlots of any organisation, sporting or political , in the world. The world is starting to object. On the periphery Australia maintains plenty of support to get the 2022 tournament on the rebound, particularly in Europe and especially in the UK. Whilst a remote possibility at this point a lot can happen in 12 months and expect this issue to accelerate after 2014 is over.

Commenter

Simon

Location

Sydney

Date and time

June 02, 2014, 9:43PM

It is incredible in this day and age that an organisation as grubby and corrupt as FIFA remains untouchable from the outside world.

Everybody knew they bought it from the get go, yet I doubt video footage of Blatter himself handing over a brown paper bag will see a re vote. The only real way we would see change is to boycott this World Cup and every FIFA event moving forward, yet I'm still stupid enough to head to Brazil because I don't want to miss out!

I hate FIFA and everything they stand for but I don't hold my breath that anything will change anytime soon...

Commenter

Les Murray

Location

Date and time

June 01, 2014, 9:48PM

... " the Sunday Times in London have highlighted extensive corruption related to former FIFA vice president Mohammed bin Hammam, who is closely connected with Qatar’s bid.

The newspaper claims to have been leaked “millions of documents” that “expose how Qatar’s astonishing victory in the race to secure the right to host the 2022 tournament was sealed by a covert campaign by Mohammed bin Hammam”. The newspaper claims he paid US$5 million ($5.4 million) to gain the backing of key powerbrokers in the lead up to the bid, which saw Qatar triumph ahead of rival bids ... "

In the face of such overwhelming evidence FIFA has no other alternative than to suspend Quatar indefinitely from FIFA. This would show conclusively to the world that FIFA does indeed mean business on his issue which is tearing FIFA's reputation apart.And that very action would thus force a fresh vote on the staging of the 2022 WC.Simple.

Commenter

The Truth Will Set Football Free

Location

Wangaratta

Date and time

June 02, 2014, 8:24AM

Quatar announced very recently that shorts worn by men, and leggings worn by women will be banned at the 2022 WC.Surely a human rights issue.Feminists are rightly outraged on this attack on what are universal women's rights. Feminists and women everywhere need to mobilise and protest against this attack on the most basic of human rights.

Commenter

Football for Freedom

Location

Epping

Date and time

June 02, 2014, 8:34AM

Whilst the Quatar fiasco is front and centre of world football attention, another, perhaps even bigger headache for FIFA is looming large - Russia 2018.

Both the World Bank and the IMF have stated that Russia is rapidly sinking into recession, due to sanctions imposed by USA and Europe in respect of geo-political issues.

This casts grave doubt on Russia's ability to have all the necessary infrastructure up and running whilst battling a deteriorating domestic economy, amidst reportedly vast outflows of capital.

If FIFA is to avoid the very problems which are set to mar the 2014 brazil WC, then it has no alternative but to act, and act fast; 2018 is just around the corner.

FIFA needs to immediately remove the staging of the WC from Russia in 2018, and give it to the USA, who have run a WC before, and made it into a resounding financial success - what's more, they can do it at short notice.

FIFA just cannot afford the repeat of another Brazil-style shemozzle in 2018. Its reputation is already looking very ragged.

Commenter

Avoiding another Football mess

Location

Kotara

Date and time

June 02, 2014, 8:58AM

Hahaha.... I haven't laughed so hard for a long time. Thanks for laughs Mr Avoiding...

So, the richest country on Earth in terms of natural resources is suffering because of some sanctions by a bunch of desperately unpopular leaders of hopelessly indebted countries? Who are you kidding, mate? LOL.

The so-called sanctions against Russia have absolutely zero negative influence on the Russian economy. Quite the opposite: they expedited an alliance that is the mother of all alliances. Russia and China have now not only strategic economic agreements in place but also strategic military ones as well.

By the way, mate - Australia would be well advised not to meddle into the affairs of adults, because if China decides to discipline us then we all will be seeking asylum in New Zealand.

The world cup in Russia will be the best world cup ever, and everyone knows it, that's why the ill wishers are doing everything they can to prevent Russia from creating it.

Commenter

Ragnar

Date and time

June 02, 2014, 11:58AM

The FIFA trilogy of WC human rights abuses has had an inauspicious start in Brazil, with a rush to complete venues and simultaneously quell the uprising in the favelas - stemming from a disregard for human misery over international prestige.If Russia is to happen in '18, the world will have to change markedly - I doubt it will change enough.The trilogy concludes with a WC given to a nation with well-worn human rights abuses, to be played during the blazing sun. Surprise, the selection process was shonky.FIFA have dropped the ball, and they will have difficulty gathering it back after these three WCs.

Commenter

DJC

Date and time

June 02, 2014, 11:15AM

I don't want my tax dollars going towards another bid for this corrupt institution. The World Cup belongs in a hell-hole like Qatar.